Reaping-machine



(N0 Model.)

A. GORDON.

RBAPING MACHINE.

No. 602.441. Patented Apr. 19,1898.

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Uivrrnn Stern s ia rmv'r Fries JOHN A. GORDON, OF SHARPSBURG, IOWA.

REAPING=MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,441, dated April 19, 1898.

Application filed une 17, 1897. Serial No. 641,159. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. GORDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sharpsburg, in the county of Taylor and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reaping-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the platforms of reaping-machines or harvesters; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, whereby the platform may be folded, so as to occupy a smaller lateral space when the machine is being transported from place to place.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the platform, showing it extended; and.Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the platform folded up. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the platform, showing it extended; and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the platform folded up.

The platform is made in two parts A and B, of which the inner part A consists of a frame having a bottom a secured to its under side.

0 is the ground-wheel, journaled between the cross-pieces c, which form a portion of the frame A.

A are the longitudinal bars of the frame A, and a is a crosspiece at one end of the bottom a.

The frame A is secured to and braced to the body of the machine in any approved manner.

The outer part B consists of a frame having longitudinal bars B, a cross-piece b at its outer end, and a bottom I).

D is the divider, carried by the cross-piece b, and d is a ground-wheel journaled on a pin projecting from the cross-piece b.

A bar E is rigidly secured at its outer end to the inside of the front bar B, and e is a narrow opening between the bars B and E.

The bottom I) is secured to the rear bar B and to the cross-piece b and bar E.

Arms F and F are pivoted by pinsf and f to the front and rcarlongitudinal bars of the parts A and B, respectively. The arm F is pivoted on the rear side of the rear bars A and B, and the arm F is pivoted on the rear side of the front bars A and B and works in the narrow opening (2.

The bars B are provided with projections g on the upper side of their end portions, which engage with notches g in the upper side of the end portions of the bars A.

H are bolts or pins which are slid through holes in the arms and bars A and B between the pivots f and f when the machine is to be operated, so that the two parts of the frame are rigidly connected together.

The cutting apparatus is attached to the front part of the platform, and the conveyer works between the longitudinal bars of the platform.

The cutting apparatus, conveyor, and other necessary parts of the machine are of any approved construction and are not shown in the drawings.

When the machine is to be transported from one place to another, the cutting apparatus and the conveyer are removed, and the part B of the platform is folded up onto the part A, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. of the drawings. In this position the platform only occupies about one-half the lateral space required for it when in operation and the machine can be more conveniently drawn along narrow roads and through gateways. The outer part is folded onto the inner part without being inverted and then rests by gravity upon the inner part without any special devices for securing it thereto.

hat I claim is 1. In a reaping-machine or harvester, the

combination, with a platform for supporting the cutting apparatus formed of two parts arranged end to end, each said part comprising a frame having longitudinal bars at its front and back and a bottom secured to the said bars; of arms pivoted to the said longitudinal bars and permitting one part to be folded up onto the other part, the arm at the front of the platform being arranged behind the front bars inside the frames, and the bottom portion of one of the said frames being providedwith an opening 6 for the said arm to work in, substantially as described and shown.

2. In a reaping-machine,a platform for supporting the cutting apparatus, formed in two parts arranged end to end, the longitudinal bars of one part having projections on their .sides of the said longitudinal bars and permitting the outer part of the platform to be folded up onto the inner part, the front arm being arranged to work in the said opening 6, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. A. GORDON. Witnesses:

E. WRIGHT, G. V. CUNNINGHAM. 

